Donald Norcross

Soon after his election, Norcross was appointed to Assistant Whip, a role he would go on to reprise after his 2016 re-election. Norcross currently serves in a number of leadership roles in the Democratic Caucus, as well, including serving as co-chair of the Rebuilding America Task Force, member of the Steering and Policy Committee, and member of the Communications Committee. He is also the co-founder of the Bipartisan Building Trades Caucus, Vice-Chair of the Bipartisan Task Force to Combat the Heroin Epidemic, and was appointed to the Joint Select Committee on Pension Security.

On February 4, 2014, South Jersey Congressman Rob Andrews announced he would be resigning from Congress by the end of the month, and he did so on February 18.

Norcross easily won the Democratic primary—the real contest in what has long been the only safe Democratic district in South Jersey—with 72 percent of the vote. He ran in two elections on November 4: a special election for the balance of Andrews' 12th full term, and a regular election for a full two-year term. He easily won both over Republican challenger Garry Cobb. He was sworn in on November 12, 2014 by House Speaker John Boehner. Since he was added to the House roll on that date, he gained more seniority than other members of the House freshman class of 2014.

Norcross and his running mate, Camden City Council President Angel Fuentes, were elected to the Assembly in 2009 after Democrat incumbents Nilsa Cruz-Perez and Joseph J. Roberts both retired. Shortly thereafter, Norcross was appointed to the Senate seat vacated by Dana Redd who was elected as Mayor of Camden. Norcross won the Senate special election in 2010 to finish out the term, then was re-elected to the New Jersey Senate in 2011 and 2013.

In 1980, he served as an apprentice in the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, eventually becoming assistant business manager of the IBEW Local 351. A former president of the Southern New Jersey Building Trades Council, Norcross served as president of the Southern New Jersey AFL-CIO Central Labor Council for 16 years.

Norcross announced his candidacy February 5, and within a week, he was endorsed by every New Jersey congressional Democrat, State Senate President Stephen Sweeney, General Assembly Majority Leader Louis Greenwald, Mayor of Camden Dana Redd, U.S. Senator Cory Booker, and former Governor Jim Florio (who represented the 1st from 1975 to 1990).

Donald W. Norcross (born December 13, 1958) is an American politician who has served as the U.S. Representative for New Jersey's 1st congressional district since 2014. The district covers much of the core of the New Jersey side of the Philadelphia metro area, including Camden, Cherry Hill, Lindenwold, and Glassboro. He is a member of the Democratic Party and an American labor leader. He won the seat in 2014 following the resignation of Rob Andrews. Prior to his service in the House, he represented the 5th District in the New Jersey Senate from 2010 to 2014.

Norcross was born on December 13, 1958 in Camden, New Jersey, the son of George E. Norcross Jr. He and his three brothers were raised in Pennsauken Township. He graduated from Camden County College with a degree in criminal justice. He was raised in the Lutheran faith.